Loren, the vegan smoker son with a girl's name

Hello there,
Yes, I smoke, and yes I'm a vegan, practice yoga and juice on a near to daily basis. And so I love Bill's cookbook and have been helping out with a few recipes in my time back for a visit at home. Balance is the key to life they say, and what better way to balance off a smoking habit with some lovely vegan, antioxidant-laden recipes from Bill Irwin's cookbook. SO here you have it:
Pg 48, Raw Cauliflower soup:
A strong idea, with tons of raw vegetables and certainly an easy way to pack your stomach with pureed raw vegetables. Unfortunately, the end result didn't exactly pan out. Raw vegetables also included raw garlic amongst a host of other greens and brown and oranges. The end result is a strong mucky brown that has a spiced up overbearing raw garlic flavor with a not so delicious flavor lurking right behind it (like my taste adjectives?). SO we gave it a check, though my dad mighty say it was a check plus if served in small ammounts as premeal (can never remember how to spell that strange French word that means, small ammounts of food you eat before a meal) treat.
Pg 190, Grape and Avocado Dressing
Check here again. And nothing to report. A cool idea for sure, but just a bit too odd to make the cut, especially amongst the other amazing recipes in the book.
Pg, 133, Raw Veggies and rice:
This was a great one and certainly a check plus. I used, celery, carrots, red pepper, with fresh lemons and everything else bill suggested. I recommend cutting the vegetables small, as I did, to keep from having a bunch of large chunky raw things you're working your teeth through that distract from the pleasantries of the dish. Again, a great way to have a meal with plenty of raw veggies and plenty of flavor.
However, Bill suggested soaking the basmati for 48hr, but after 72 hours mine still wasnt nearly soft enought to eat, so I did cook the rice for about ten mintues in a little water.
Pg 1 Almond Milk
And lastly, a real treat! I've always thought why the hell would you make your own almond milk when it's so cheap to buy? Who would ever have the time? I stand corrected. What's easier than soaking a cup of almonds for a night, adding some water and a handful of dates and blending them up in your vitamix? Well, I guess grabbing a carton form the fridge and pouring it into a glass is a bit easier, but it's not nearly as tasty! I've never had a more refreshing non-dairy drink! Cool and smooth, with little chunks of almonds and dates, this kept me coming back for more. It almost becomes more than just something to pour over granola, more like something with legitimate nutritional value and grainy love! And, if you've ever checked the sugar content of some of the non-dairy drinks you're consuming (20g!) you'll be even more interested. Check plus plus!
And this is Loren, checking in and checking out, your favorite vegan smoker yogi with a girl's name.